USPS Celebrates Native American Culture with Powwow Stamps

What:

The U.S. Postal Service will hold a first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture stamps at the annual Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque, NM.

News of the Forever stamps is being shared with the hashtag #PowwowsStamps.

Who:

Steve Monteith, the Postal Service's chief customer and marketing officer and executive vice president, will serve as the dedicating official.

When: 

Friday, April 25, at 1:30 p.m. MDT

Where:

Gathering of Nations Pow Wow

Tingley Coliseum / Expo New Mexico

300 San Pedro Drive NE

Albuquerque, NM 87108

RSVP:

Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at www.usps.com/powwowsstamps. USPS will have a limited number of admission tickets and guests must register to receive one.

Background:

Powwows are festive gatherings where Indigenous people can celebrate their identities through dance, prayer, music and art. The largest powwow is the annual Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with more than 100,000 attendees.

These ceremonies open with a grand entry parade featuring Native veterans, tribal elders, dancers, and musicians. In addition to traditional and competitive dancing, main events include singing, pageantry, the honoring of ancestors, arts and crafts, and giveaways or donations to those in need.

The four powwow stamps showcase original paintings of Native American dancers by Cochiti Pueblo artist Mateo Romero. The artist took photographs of the dancers in their traditional clothing while performing and then painted on top of the images. The stamps include the Women's Traditional Dance, Crow Hop Dance, Men's Hoop Dance, and Women's Fancy Shawl Dance.

Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.